Despite Everything
by booksdefygravity
Summary: Victoire Weasley knows exactly who she is: beautiful, intelligent, daring. Teddy Lupin, however, isn't so sure about his place in the world: his parents are dead, his only living family are the Malfoys, and even his appearance is inconstant. And yet, despite their differences, despite everything, the two form an unlikely friendship that will one day grow into something more.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

Alone in her room, Victoire gazed into the mirror. She had the silvery-blonde hair and the blue eyes of her mother, that one-eighth Veela already making her a little bit more beautiful than the other girls her age. If you looked at her, you would not know that there was a single drop of Weasley blood in her veins.

But there was.

Despite appearances, despite everything, Victoire was very much her father's daughter. She had his sense of humor, his laugh, and his taste for adventure. And yet, she was also had her mother's beauty, pride, and determination. She was a blend of both parents, a perfect mix.

It was her eleventh birthday. Eleven was an important birthday in the Wizarding world: the day you were accepted into a Wizarding school. For most people, the decision was easy. Most people only found one owl perched on their window.

But Victoire had found two.

One was small and golden-feathered, the other, large and tawny. One from Beaxbatons, the other from Hogwarts.

It was for that reason that Victoire was dreading going downstairs. Her parents were clearly letting her sleep in for her birthday, but she was always up with the sun.

She knew what choice her mother would want her to make, and she knew that her father would not care. And yet, she didn't want to go with the obvious choice.

She stood up, took a deep breath, and headed downstairs.

"Good morning, sunshine!" exclaimed her father, picking her up and spinning her around in a circle. She couldn't help but laugh, but the moment he set her down, she was serious once again.

Her mother floated forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Good morning, chèri."

"Good morning, Mama, Papa," she said, smiling at them determinedly. They would not influence her decision—she would not let them. "I have two letters this morning."

She noticed that her mother's smile grew slightly tight.

"That's great, Vivi," said Papa. When Victoire's younger sister, Adelaide, was learning to speak, she hadn't been able to say 'Victoire' and her substitute, Vivi, had stuck. "Have you decided where you want to go?"

Victoire took a deep breath. "I want to go to Hogwarts."

"Victoire," said her mother, stepping forward. "I—

Victoire shook her head. "No, Mama. I have made up my mind. I will go to Hogwarts. Please don't fight with me."

Fleur sighed, shaking her head. "Vairy well, chèri," she said, biting her lip. Victoire hated to see her looking disappointed, but it was not her mother's choice.

Her father kissed her on the forehead. "Your uncles will be very happy, Vivi," he said. "Come on now, and get your birthday present."

Relieved that there had been no drama or fireworks from her mother, Victoire took his hand and off to receive her birthday present, an owl.

She had no way of knowing that the choice she had made a few moments earlier would change the course of her life forever.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Teddy Lupin was bored.

The members of his compartment, his friends Arty Thomas and Aidan Finnegan, had apparently stayed up very late the night before, and now were both fast asleep. As the Hogwarts Express whizzed through green fields, Teddy wished they would wake up. He was getting tired of playing with his hair, changing it from green to purple to blonde.

Teddy had spent most of the summer staying in the home of Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic. Because both of his parents had died in the Battle of Hogwarts, Teddy was cycled between ex-members of the Order of the Phoenix whenever he wasn't at Hogwarts.

His favorite by far was when he stayed with "Uncle" Harry and "Aunt" Ginny, but with seven-year-old James, five-year-old Albus, and three-year-old Lily, the Potters had their hands full. So Teddy has spent his summer with the Minister of Magic—or rather, with the Minister of Magic's sixty-year-old maid, Loretta, who smelled like garlic and was afraid that Teddy's metamorphosing was a sign of evil in his future. It had not been a great summer.

Now, when he _finally _had the company of people his own age, they were asleep.

Teddy got to his feet. He would go find someone else, he decided. He set off down the train, peering in each compartment. Each one was full of people, but he didn't see anyone he knew particularly well. He reached the last compartment in that section, and to his surprise, saw that just one person was sitting inside.

He couldn't resist watching her for a moment.

It was strange, he thought. She was all by herself, and yet she did not look lonely in the slightest. Her silvery-blonde hair was thrown back over her shoulders, her clear blue eyes gazing intently at the book she was reading.

She looked familiar, but Teddy couldn't place her. He decided that he might as well go in and pulled open the sliding door.

She looked up, surprised, and Teddy could immediately tell that she had recognized him, too.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Teddy."

"Victoire," she said, and suddenly, he remembered.

"Victoire!" he exclaimed. "You're James and Albus and Lily's cousin! They have a picture of you on their refrigerator."

"They have a picture of you, too," grinned Victoire. "Only in that one, your hair is green."

Teddy laughed. "You're a first year, right?"

"Yes," said Victoire. "And you're a second year."

Teddy nodded. He was about to say something else when the train began to slow down.

Victoire jumped up and looked out the window. "We're here!" she exclaimed.

Teddy grinned. "Ready to be sorted?"

Victoire did not look even slightly nervous. "Definitely," she said, grabbing her trunk.

"See you later," said Teddy.

"Bye," said Victoire.

Teddy walked quickly back towards his own compartment. He did not want to be late. For some reason, he thought this might be an interesting Sorting.

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**AN: Thanks for reading! I usually wait until I get a few reviews until I post the next chapter, so let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: Sorry for not updating sooner! Please R&R! Thank you for reading!**

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Victoire fingered her necklace chain. She would never have admitted it, but she was starting to get nervous.

The necklace, a heart-shaped silver locket, had been an eleventh birthday present from her mother, who had said it was a good-luck charm.

Victoire was hoping that it was lucky enough to keep her out of Slytherin. She wanted to prove that she really belonged at Hogwarts, not Beaxbatons, and, like a great many Weasleys before her, felt that being placed in Slytherin was as bad as being told she had no place at all.

"Vine, Elizabeth!"

Victoire jumped. They were already on the V's. W's would be next. She watched anxiously as the Sorting Hat was placed on the head of Elizabeth Vine, a pretty girl with dark ringlets and blue eyes. The hat sat there for several minutes before finally shouting "Slytherin!"

Victoire was trembling. _Stop,_ she commanded herself.

"Weasley, Victoire!"

_I'm sure everyone can see me shaking, _she thought, as she sat down on the stool. She had no way of knowing that everyone in the Great Hall was at that moment noticing how calm and composed she looked.

The hat slipped over her eyes.

_"Oh no, another Weasley," _said the Sorting Hat. _"Dear, dear, does it never end? Well, let's see. Certainly daring… but rather clever, too… tricky, very tricky. I can already tell you're adamantly opposed to Slytherin… well, well, well. You're a sharp girl. You know how to put knowledge to your use. Better go with RAVENCLAW!"_

The last word had been spoken out loud. Victoire lifted the hat off her head and saw that the Ravenclaw table was cheering loudly. Smiling, she hurried down and joined her new table. She noticed Teddy Lupin watching from the Gryffindor table and felt the smallest twinge of regret.

After the last few students were sorted, Headmaster Longbottom stood up. "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome, new and returning students. I know you're all very hungry, but there are a few things I would like to say."

His voice became slightly more serious. "First, I would like to remind you that there are several new House Unity activities every year. As of this year, starting today, students may enter the common rooms of houses that are not their own, if they are with a student that belongs to that house. Second, every first-year student will be assigned a class partner. You and your class partner will have all of your classes and do all of your school assignments together. Third, points will be taken off whenever you show discrimination or prejudice. That is all. Let the feast begin!"

Victoire helped herself to food and began to eat and chat with two other first-year Ravenclaw girls, Lakshmi Patil and Lien Corner.

"I wonder how we find out who our class partner is," wondered Victoire.

"The list will be posted in our dormitory," said Lien. "A prefect told me."

"So," said Lakshmi, "have you two always known you were witches?"

Victoire nodded.

"Yeah," said Lien. "My parents are both half-bloods."

"I'd never been to Diagon Alley, though," said Victoire. "My mum would never take me."

"Mine either!" exclaimed Lakshmi. "She said it would ruin the Hogwarts experience."

"I live in Diagon Alley," said Lien. "My mum and dad own a bookstore there, and we live above it."

"Cool!" said Victoire. "What bookstore?"

The rest of the meal passed by in a flurry of conversation. Finally, dinner was over. The three new friends followed a prefect up flight after flight of stairs, until, finally, they reached the Ravenclaw tower.

Victoire loved the Ravenclaw common room immediately. It was cool, calm, and beautiful, with deep blue walls, a view of the distant mountains, small tables that looked perfect for studying at, and several bookshelves filled with thick volumes.

Along with Lakshmi, Lien, and another girl named Ella, Victoire headed into her dormitory. The windows had an even better view of the mountains, and there were four loft beds, each with a desk , a lamp, and a bookshelf, tucked underneath.

"Look!" said Ella. "The list of class partners!"

They hurried over to check it. Victoire quickly found her name. Apparently, she had been paired with Elizabeth Vine, who, she remembered, was the dark-haired girl who had been placed in Slytherin.

Suddenly exhausted, Victoire climbed the ladder of her loft bed.

Fingers curled around the silver locket, she drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Okay, I am SO SORRY. It has been forever since I posted a chapter. A huge thank you to all you lovely people who reviewed or followed- without you, this chapter probably would have never been written. I'll try to update more frequently!  
There's a reference to my oneshot "Memorizing the Mesmerizing" in this chapter, if anyone's interested.  
Thank you sosososososo much for your reviews. I love getting them! Okay, enough babbling- time for the chapter. Let me know what you think!**

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The next morning, Teddy awoke bright and early. For a moment, he wondered where he was. Then he remembered. He was in his four-poster bed in the Gryffindor dormitories.

Teddy loved Hogwarts. He loved all the hidden doors and moving staircases, the ghosts and the talking portraits, the greenhouses and the lake. He even loved his classes, especially Transfiguration, which was his best subject, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, because his father had once taught it.

That was the other thing Teddy loved about Hogwarts— it was easy, somehow, to imagine his father there, wandering around the grounds, studying under the trees on the lawn, sitting in the library— and his mother, too, tripping over things and turning her hair bright green.

After glancing around the room to make sure that his roommates were still asleep, Teddy climbed out of bed, opened his trunk, and pulled out the photo album the Order of the Phoenix had made for him when he was a baby.

It was full of pictures of his parents, starting when they were babies and progressing through their lives. On the very last page was Teddy's favorite picture. In it, his mother and father were both asleep. His mother's hair, a dark, midnight-blue color, was spread across the pillow. In between them slept small baby Teddy, a tuft of lavender hair on top of his head.

His grandmother, Andromeda Tonks, had taken the picture the day his parents died.

After gazing at it for a moment, Teddy closed the photo book, placed it in one his drawers, and piled his socks on top of it. It wasn't that he was embarrassed about the book— he simply preferred to keep it to himself.

Once he had unpacked everything, he decided it was time to wake his friends.

"Aidan! Arty!"

"Ugggggh."

"Mmmhmm?"

"Come on, let's go get breakfast!"

"Breakfast?" said Aidan, sitting bolt-upright. "Okay, let's go. And after that we should go out to the Quidditch pitch and start practicing so we can make the team this year!" Always energized by the thought of food, Aidan leapt out of bed and started to get dressed.

Teddy grinned. It was good to be back.

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Later that afternoon, Teddy wasn't feeling quite so enthusiastic. History of Magic was still boring, and he had already been assigned an essay. Aidan and Arty had told him not to stress about it— after all, it wasn't due for a week and half. But Teddy liked to stay on top of his work, the way his father had. So, while his friends played a game of Gobstones, Teddy set off for the library.

He had been working for about a half an hour and getting absolutely nowhere when he noticed a girl with long, silvery-blonde hair moving among the books, her back turned to him.

He hesitated for a moment, and then whispered "Victoire?"

The girl spun around, looking confused. Then she spotted him. "Oh! Hi, Teddy." She walked up to the table and set down the large book she had been carrying. "How are you?"

"I'm all right," he said. "How are you? How was your first day?"

She smiled. "It was pretty good. I like Potions and Herbology best."

"Did you meet your class partner?"

Victoire nodded. "Her name's Elizabeth. We didn't really talk, though, since we had classes all day. She's a Slytherin."

Teddy nodded. "Hopefully she's nice," he said.

"Hopefully," said Victoire. "What are you working on?"

"History of Magic," said Teddy. "It's horrible. What about you?"

"I was getting a book for Transfiguration," said Victoire. "It's so hard. I know I'm going to be awful at it. "

"I'm pretty good at Transfiguration," said Teddy. "I could help you, if you want."

"Oh, no, I couldn't," she said, shaking her head. "You're busy."

"Come on," he said, rolling his eyes. "We're almost family, sort of. Although you're never around for summer or Christmas, so I've barely ever seen you."

"We go to France and see my grandparents," she explained. Hesitantly, she sat down at the table. "Are you sure you have time to help me?"

Teddy smiled. "It's fine."

"I wish I could help you with your history," said Victoire.

Teddy laughed. "Well, unless you're an expert on the Leprechaun-Veela feud, I'm not sure that there's much you can do."

"Oh, that story?" exclaimed Victoire. "Mother's told me that one a thousand times!"

"Really?" said Teddy. "Well, in that case, let's get to work!"

Victoire grinned.


End file.
